Tikal The Echidna
by ThoughtfulTikal
Summary: She had been the one who helped this blue hedgehog. His friends were included but Tikal guided Sonic through each level. Whenever he was puzzled. Whenever the odds weren't in his favor. She was there to be his light when everything was dark and new to him.
1. This Is Only The Beginning!

"The fighting is over. Harmony is restored. Life goes on."

Tikal was so grateful to finally be able to say these words. The world had been knocked off its balance because Chaos was revived and plotted to destroy everything. Hatred, sadness, and pain from long ago had still lingered on his heart.

It was up to Sonic to harness the true energy of the Chaos Emeralds and put an end to Chaos's rampage and purify him so that his feelings from the far past vanished. Though the world's fastest hedgehog didn't face this battle alone.

"Thank you so much," Tikal looked up at Sonic with tears rimming her eyelids. She had been the one who helped this blue hedgehog. His friends were included but Tikal guided Sonic through each level. Whenever he was puzzled. Whenever the odds weren't in his favor. She was there to be his light when everything was dark and new to him.

* * *

With his eyes closed and arms propped behind his head, Sonic kicked back and chillaxed against a tree in the exotic Frog Forest he'd came across a few months back while on one of his many adventures. The Blue Blur decided that he needed a vacation after having saved the world back-to-back.

Although, something about Sonic was unusual. He didn't go for any runs and explore his surroundings. He remained still, in deep thought of one thing.

Maybe it sounded bizarre, but through every level he raced through to complete his last adventure involving Shadow and the ARK, that echidna arrived in a ball of orange light. Giving tips on obstacles or evil bosses he approached.

Sonic's brain started to hurt. Maybe, he thought, maybe it was time he took a break from thinking and go for a short to run to clear his head; even if that echidna did accompany him on his adventure, then quiet possibly he could confront her whenever they met again.

A summer's breeze swayed the hedgehog's way and cooled his face. So feeling somewhat relieved, he took off in a burst of blue energy torwards an unknown destination.

* * *

At the end of another long day, rain beat down on Knuckles's head as he sat with his legs crossed. Not that the echidna minded it. He had lived through worse weather.

It wouldn't be long before the red echidna entered a much needed sleep. Though the raindrops didn't land on him anymore. The Master Emerald guardian looked up and found a giant leaf looming over his body. And not only that... but the leaf was held by a...

...

...

No. Knuckles couldn't speak when he was so shocked by this figure's appearance. Their crystal blue eyes cast and put a spell on him. Their physical characteristics matched Knuckles's in almost every way, except they were of the opposite sex.

Knuckles's mouth hung open like a door someone forgot to close. The female echidna smiled and and kept smiling until he came to his senses.

This girl...

As if under hypnotism, Knuckles let her take his hand and help him up. Now she and him were both under the giant leaf.

"Who... are you?" Knuckles asked, feeling a strong connection.

Months ago, he witnessed this echidna reuniting with Chaos and ascending with him to the heavens above. Why she returned down here to Earth, he was in no way sure.

"I'm Tikal. I'm sure there's a lot of things you wish to ask about me. You deserve that much, so go ahead and ask whatever's on your mind. Just know that you're not alone anymore."

Knuckles's mind swarmed with questions. His speechlessness responded to Tikal and for the rest of that day he asked several questions, whether it be about his heritage, why he was alone to guard the Master Emerald, and other things the echidna had locked inside his mind.

"Knuckles."

When the day was over and the moon shone in the sky, Tikal officially claimed Angel Island as her new home. Gazing up at the stars helped her see that they hadn't changed one bit.

"Do you like looking up at the stars?" Tikal asked her new friend.

"Yeah, sometimes." With someone like Tikal in Knuckles's presence, he felt more relaxed and found himself sitting with arms and legs spread out behind her.

"There's a story I always think about when I look at the sky like this. In the story, the moon takes care of all the stars because they're her children. She teaches them that it's always better to live in harmony and peace. Violence is wrong and never solves anything."

Intrigued by this tale, Knuckles viewed the sky for himself then shifted his eyes to Tikal's. She knew how to put him into such ease but was only acquainted with him.

"... and so that's why the stars stay around the moon." Tikal finished her explanation and rose from the steps to turn around and face Knuckles. The smile on her face resembled her first smile from earlier.

"What do you think of that story?"

"Huh? Oh, it was definitely interesting." Knuckles watched Tikal's lips curl in response. "Tikal... I'm not sure I know what to say about any of this. You sealed yourself inside the Master Emerald in order to take Chaos with you, but now you're back here in the flesh and you want to help me watch over it." As if becoming too emotional, Knuckles looked down for a few seconds then lifted his head back up. "... how do I repay you for something like that?"

"You don't." Tikal's lips graced a warm smile. "This is my duty as much as it is yours. The Master Emerald was placed in our hands because we come from a strong and versatile race. Echidna's never give up what's put in their hands."

Hearing these words a brought a bit of a smile to Knuckles's face. He believed every word she said.

* * *

Three knocks came to the door and so Knuckles accepted the respectful gesutre by saying, "Come in."

Rather than still on the Master Emerald Altar, he was inside Tails's workshop in the Mystic Ruins. Tikal could've easily brewed herbs and created a medicine for Knuckles to take, but it was by his request that she hide. He didn't know if he was ready to present Tikal to the others since he was still overwhelmed by her return and needed more personal time with the fellow member of his scarce race.

Amy discovered that Knuckles had a cases of a fever and cold, therefore convinced the hot head to cool down and lay in Tails's bed for faster recovery.

It was Tails who'd knocked on the door and came in. He took a seat on the stool beside Knuckles and asked calmly, "Are you feeling any better, Knuckles? Amy's downstairs making soup for you."

"Yeah, I'm getting there. But did you really have to go through all the trouble of strapping me to this bed?"

Bedsheets covered the bondages Knuckles just mentioned.

"W-well, it isn't good for you to be up when you're sick like this. We just know how you can be sometimes."

Suddenly Tikal returned to Knuckles's mind. She flashed and appeared there almost every moment since their meeting two days ago.

"Hey, I know!" Tails's voice snapped Knuckles out of his trance, "Maybe if you built yourself a house you wouldn't be as likely to get sick."

"A house?"

"Yeah. How does that sound to you?"

"Hmmmm... well I don't know if that's really necessary. I'm used to the weather, the only reason I got sick is because yesterday had a huge rainstorm."

Before Tails could respond, three more knocks came from his door.

"Come in," the fox allowed their next visitor.

Amy could be seen walking in with a bowl of soup and the sweetest smile on her face. "Knuckles, here's your soup." The pink hedgehog asked Tails if she could have his seat. "I can't feed you while you're lying down so promise us you won't run away when Tails unlatches you."

"Promise." Knuckles retorted irritably. He had all the liberty in the world to escape, but the deterrance lie in his super speedy rival.

To begin with, Knuckles wasn't asked to be brought here. He could have asked Tikal for help but Amy came along.

Once the echidna was freed from the straps, Amy began to spoon feed him in the same manner a mother would spoon feed her child.

"Why can't I eat this soup using my own hands?"

"Because you're still sick and don't need to move around so much," Amy replied sternly, almost jabbing the spoon in her friend's mouth, "If you had shelter then you wouldn't get sick this often."

Knuckles found himself simply ignoring this Amy Rose. She was a kind and caring person but could be annoying when she grew fussy. However, he did feel the need to admit that this soup she prepared tasted absolutely scrumptious. Just the right amount of vegetables, not too hot or too cold, not too much seasoning stirred in.

"Amy."

"Hm?"

"Who taught you how to make this?"

"Oh, it's a recipe Cream's mother shared with me. It's a definite cure to any sickness, and the reason it is is because of one of its seasonings."

"Seasonings, huh?" Knuckles identified the familiar taste of herbs and mushrooms. "So she used ingredients from Angel Island to spice this."

"Really?"

"Long ago my people used Angel Island's mushrooms and leaves to make their medicine."

"Well no wonder she likes visiting you sometimes. I guess there's still a lot more to Angel Island than you've told us," Amy flashed a cute smile.

"Tikal..."

That smile... something about this smile, just triggered that one along with her.

"Tikal?"

Knuckles regained his senses and developed a frown. "No, forget what you heard just now."

Unfortunately for him, Knuckles watched Amy make a teasing grin.

"Tikal sounds like a name for a girl. Are you seeing someone with that name?"

"What are you babbling about? Even if I was, not saying I am... I wouldn't talk to you or anyone else about it."

"What? But we're your friends." Amy took defensive for herself and their other friends, "Why wouldn't you be able to talk about something like this?"

Amy expected a verbal response but Knuckles only looked away. His eyes gave off a dull shine as awkwardness nudged at his shoulder. This wasn't the Knuckles they met and grew attached to.

"If there's something you need to say to one of us then-"

"I said I wouldn't talk about it!"

Knuckles yelled so loud and harshly that Amy panicked and almost dropped his bowl. She was pushed to tears as the bowl had almost been spilled on the floor. What was Knuckles's deal anyway?

"Well good luck feeding yourself!"

In a fueled anger, Amy flung the soup directly at Knuckles's face and heard him growl while she set its dish down and stomped torwards the door. His eyes burned as some of its contents seeped inside his eyes. The sound of a slamming door only worsened his predicament.

"Amy, you selfish little brat!"

Knuckles's face shown a shade of red deeper than his fur. His anger drove him to taking the same bowl and throwing it at a wall.

"What was that?"

Tails practically flew from the couch with Sonic close behind him. Together fox and hedgehog raced upstairs to see what all the commotion was. For the oddest reason, Amy stayed downstairs and never followed. The amount of guilt on her face was enough to make Sonic come to a halt and ask for her side of the story.

By the time Tails re-entered his room, he found it to be empty. The only evidence was spilled on his carpet and broken into shards.

His curtains swayed as the Mystic Ruin's tropical breeze pushed past them.

"Just as I thought."

Tails knelt in front of his shattered bowl and grabbed one of its remains, examining it gloomily.

"Hey. Amy just told me what happened in here. Guess she said one of the wrong things to Knuckles and he lashed out on her."

"This is my fault."

"Why? You weren't in here when it all went down."

Sonic went over to Tails and joined him on the carpet.

"But I was the one who unlatched him. We thought we could trust him, but he got upset and now he's back out there."

Amy joined the conversation and interjected, "I didn't get to finish feeding him all of his soup. He's not ready to be back outside."

"Tails, don't take the blame for this." Sonic set a gentle hand on his best friend's shoulder. "Knuckles is just being the usual hot head he is. Stay here with Amy. I'll find that knuckle head."

No one replied, and so Sonic climbed out of the window with sole intentions of recovering the sickly echidna.

* * *

To think he literally muttered her name out like that... Knuckles never would've intended for her name to slip out. Because it was unintentional, Amy was onto him like a mouse on cheese. She would spread the situation around until everyone knew, and he would never hear the end of it.

"This is exactly the kind of thing I don't like about her!" Knuckles complained as he jogged and brushed each leaf out of his way. "She bugs me and bugs me until I finally say what she wants to hear!"

Covering his mouth to cough, the unhealthy echidna shook his head in hopes of his conflict with Amy to disappear. However the character standing in front caused him to pause.

"Sonic!"

Normally when Sonic and Knuckles bumped into each other, Sonic wore a grin and played with Knuckles as if to annoy him.

Not today.

Knuckles realized that he should've expected the blue hedgehog to already be here. Amy had went and told on him so now her blue hero was here to save the day.

They locked serious expressions on each other, knowing where the confrontation would go.

"So, you got tired of being cooped in Tails's workshop?"

"What's it to you, Sonic?"

For Amy's sake, Sonic held back his anger. "Amy told me everything. Maybe if you came back you guys could come back to some kind of agreement."

"There's no reason for me to go back there. My place is here with the Master Emerald. Someone like you should know that already."

"What makes you think I don't?"

"Because you're Sonic! You don't know where to draw the line. You turn everything into a game, without ever thinking of the risks!"

"That's just who I am. I can't change that." Sonic's eyes reflected pain as Knuckles's words hurt him. He might've not liked everything about Sonic but no one was ever perfect.

As a new silence dawned over the rivals, a bee found a purple flower and began eating its sweet nectar. Sonic didn't truly understand why Knuckles couldn't be calm like this yellow bee.

"So, what exactly did you and Amy talk about?"

"Nothing worth mentioning."

"Look, I know how much of a bother she can be sometimes, but she only means well, dude. I mean it. She's always under me but I'm not so sure she understands me as much as she understands you."

"What are you saying?" Knuckles lost his frown and grew curious about Sonic's reply.

"When I see her with you she knows just what to say. I end up taking off because she starts acting clingy. With you, it's like she's a different person."

For the first time in his life, Knuckles had to admit, "I hate to admit it, but Sonic's right." Though to Sonic's face, asked with a blunt tone, "So what if she is? I'm not someone who brags about my talent and shows off with it."

Sonic could nothing but chuckle at this remark. "Don't worry Knuckles, you'll get what I'm saying soon enough. I'll tell the others you gave me a hard time and I decided to let you cool off."

"Wait!"

Before Sonic departed, he and Knuckles gasped at this recognizable voice. They looked around for its source and found an orb of light slowly descending torwards them.

"That light...!" Sonic knew who this was.

"Tikal!" Knuckles exclaimed astonishingly.

As she was close to touching the ground, Tikal landed in front of Sonic and reappeared as her true self. The memories she and him shared during his last quest all came back to him. He couldn't say it was his mind playing tricks on him, or say it was another individual.

Tikal had came back to his side, once again. Even when there was no adventure or journey to be taken on.

"Sonic... it's so good to see you again. How long has it been since our last adventure?"


	2. Yours and Her Adventure?

As she was close to touching the ground, Tikal landed in front of Sonic and reappeared as her true self. Those occasions he was accompanied by her on his journies all started to make sense to him. This echidna really was the same one.

She'd came back to be his companion. Except as far as Sonic was concerned, the world was at peace and Egg-head was taking a break from plotting evil.

"Sonic... it's so good to see you again. How long has it been since our last adventure?"

Knuckles was frozen and couldn't move. He misheard Tikal or she actually was questioning Sonic with an intimate demeanor. It was almost as if something had went on between the two of them.

Knuckles was mistaken if he thought Sonic was calm about this unexpected surprise. He didn't anticipate Tikal's return.

"Uhh... say maybe three months?"

Something _was_ going on here. Knuckles felt it. The way she was smiling at him. The way her eyes shined and sparkled.

The echidna looked to Tikal and parted his lips to say something, but she'd spoken first.

"Yes. Somewhere around that many months."

As Sonic was glad to see his 14 year old friend again, he also was curious about her return. She'd appeared to him, and only to him on his adventures...

"Oh, where are my manners?" Tikal giggled softly. "Knuckles, you're probably wondering why I'm already acquainted with Sonic. Well you see, I accompanied him again on his latest adventure. Helping him through puzzles, advising him how to defeat bosses, whatever was needed."

"Yeah." Sonic added nervously, "Well, since she's basically summed up everything-"

"Tikal? Do you think I can have a minute alone with Sonic?" Knuckles asked, revealing his emotions on the situation.

"Uh, sure! I'll be near the ruins."

Not sure of what caused Knuckles's unease, Tikal transformed into light and flew in the direction she ever so mentioned.

Sonic readied himself for whatever anger Knuckles had to throw at him.

"Sonic, is there something you're not telling us? Why has Tikal been following you on your adventures and you never said anything?"

Just as he figured the echidna would react. Before explaining himself, Sonic took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. "When I saw Tikal following me I wasn't sure if it was her or not. But then I remembered her voice and tried to ask her why she kept following me."

This last sentence left Knuckles still wondering.

"When I finally saw her again, I convinced her to tell me why and she said because she wanted to help me. I wanted to tell you guys about her. When we gave our goodbyes I tried to ask her about it but she vanished."

No... something wasn't adding up.

"That can't be the whole truth! Why would she visit only you and not want to see the rest of us? None of it makes sense." Knuckles looked back to Sonic and found the hedgehog to be in a perplexed state himself. "Why do you look confused?"

Sonic awoke from his trance and gave Knuckles his attention, only to recieve a mistrusting frown. "Gee I don't know! Because I _am_? Why don't you believe that?"

"Because the Sonic I know wouldn't keep secrets from his friends!"

In a fit of anger, Knuckles stormed past Sonic and walked down the altar staircase. The Blue Blur said enough and wasn't needed anymore. Learning the truth of his story would only be found once Knuckles regrouped with Tikal and asked for her side of it.

* * *

Amy slammed her teenage romance novel shut and heaved a sigh as she set it on her dining table. There was nothing interesting to watch on T.V. so besides finishing her novel the hedgehog was bored.

"It's his fault that I can't find anything to do!" Amy thought back to Knuckles's fiery stubborness. "That stubborness of his is exactly what I don't like about him. No matter how nice I treat him he still finds something to get upset about.

Since niether reading or watching television put Amy to ease, she decided to look through her photo album. Its pages were surely filled with all the adventures Amy and her friends went on.

Today the Rosy Rascal's heart motioned her to turn the pages to their adventure in Rail Canyon. Everyone had so much fun accelerating along those rain trails. Things heated up when a boastful Sonic challeneged Knuckles to a race from Rail Canyon to the entrance of its neighboring area, Bullet Station.

Knuckles was ready to break this speedster's winning streak, so they began the race by blow of Tails's whistle. In the end both racers touched the finish line at the same time. Knuckles declared himself as the victor even though Tails's high-tech cameras contained the proof.

It was after this small competition that Amy decided to take pictures. Sonic had placed brotherly arms around Tails and Knuckles, Knuckles being the one who didn't feel comfortable with this close contact. Amy hadn't wanted to take a picture where anyone looked uncomfortable, but Sonic insisted that it was still a memory worth keeping.

"I don't know if I'll ever understand those two," Amy murmured with a weak smile, staring intently at that rivaled pair, "They disagree on almost everything but manage to come to an understanding when things are serious." Immediately her smile disappeared. "Knuckles doesn't treat Sonic the way he treated me earlier.. what could it all mean?"

Whatever the reason was, Amy wasn't going to cramp her brain and dwell on it. She slipped on a pink wristwatch, grabbed her purse, and headed out the door.

The Variety Shop across the street from the Hamburger Shop and beside the Police Station was having a 2-for-1 sale, she welcomed herself inside with the intent of checking out their kitchen appliances. Vanilla's silverware was excellent but Amy intended on returning these items to the pastry chef soon.

The hedgehog discovered a 30 piece set of utensils and plates and started for the cashier's register to purchase it. Earlier words from one of her dear friends played in her head.

"Well I don't know what Knuckles's deal is, but I know when it's all over you guys will make up and be friends again."

The thought of Knuckles came next, pushing Amy to a decision. "Sonic's right. Maybe I could buy Knuckles an apology present and ask him to apologize back."

The cash register was at a close distance but Amy made a right and walked towards the clothing section. Her jade-green eyes wandered until they came across a unique pair of sunglasses with tinted blue lenses. Their futuristic style reminded Amy of Tails, so she chose to buy them as Knuckles's gift and paid for it along with her dishware.

* * *

"Where did you say you got these from again?"

"The Variety Shop in Station Square. Next to the Police Station." Amy stared at Tails as he examined a pair of sunglasses she'd shown to him.

Just as Tails thought, these sunglasses were tinkered by the hands of an inventor. He slipped them on his face and spotted a giant green dot that blinked repeatedly. "What the-? These glasses are some kind of tracking device."

"Really?" Amy neared closer to Tails as she wanted to check out Knuckles's gift for herself. She had no idea these glasses were capable of locating things.

Tails began walking in the direction of the green dot until finding himself in his bedroom.

"Huh..."

Amy noticed Sonic as well as Tails and began in a curious voice, "Why would Knuckles's glasses lead to Sonic?"

Sonic had fallen asleep on Tails's bed and was resting quietly. Thanks to Dr. Eggman for deciding to plot a scheme when it was late and the moon was out. In any case, Amy found this scene to be touching. "Ohh, Sonic looks so cute when he's sleep like this..."

"These glasses led me to Sonic because of the Chaos Emeralds, I'm sure of it. He sealed them inside his body a while back after our battle with Metal Overlord." Feeling sure of himself, Tails took off the sunglasses and returned them to Amy however had one question gnawing at his mind. "So Amy, what was the reason you decided to get these sunglasses as Knuckles's gift?"

"Well, out of the other pairs in the shop these looked the most interesting. Plus, since we just figured out what they're capable of Knuckles would really like them!"

"Yeah, I think so too! With these on he could always track down the Master Emerald whenever a thief might happen to take it."

After a much needed nap, Sonic opened his eyes and yawned. Amy and Tails were in the room, now staring at his drowsy expression and seemingly waiting for him to say something.

"Tails. Ames. What's up?"

"I took your advice, Sonic. I stopped by the Variety Shop and found these sunglasses for Knuckles's apology gift," Amy giggled sweetly as she handed Sonic the presented item.

"Cool!"

* * *

The rain died down and so the clouds parted ways for the sun to shine down once more. Around this time Knuckles had located Tikal near the ruins and introduced the subject shared between Sonic and him a short while ago.

After hearing everything, Tikal felt responsible. "I'm so sorry, Knuckles. It's true, I did join Sonic on his adventure for the simple reason that I wanted to help, but I left in such a hurry and didn't hear him mention you guys. Please forgive me."

Knuckles looked into Tikal's eyes and gave the exact words that lie on his heart. "No, no, it's fine. I just wanted to hear your side of the story and not go only by his."

"Oh. You wouldn't happen to know if he's still near the Master Emerald Altar?"

"Uh... probably, why do you ask?"

"Because I need to talk to him."

Tikal began to step away with a confused Knuckles behind her. He kept his eye on her, wondering what exactly she needed to speak to Sonic for. This mystery was becoming stranger by the second.

"Huh? He's not here anymore," Tikal thought out loud as she made her way of the flight of stairs.

"Oh, well, he'll be back soon," Knuckles replied uneasily. Soon the echidna spotted a moving figure in the distance. He realized it was small and pink once it approached him close enough. Tikal gazed in this direction as well and was told that their visitor was one of his other friends named Amy Rose.

Amy made her way up the stairs and prepared to hand Knuckles his gift but found a girl standing beside him.

"Hey!" Memories flickered in Amy's head. "I think I remember you from somewhere."

"I'm Tikal. Knuckles just told me that you're Amy Rose. I think that's a pretty name."

"Oh, thank you! And I like your name too!" Amy looked to Knuckles while revealing a red box from behind her back. "Knuckles, I know it's short notice but I came by to give you this."

He raised an eyebrow in question and recieved the box.

"A present, how thoughtful!" said Tikal.

Both girls watched Knuckles open the present pull out what lurked inside. A stylish pair of sunglasses with blue lenses put in.

"Try them on," Amy urged pleasantly.

When Knuckles did just that, his vision became blue and revealed a big green circle when he faced the direction of the Master Emerald. It was though these glasses knew specifically where the special jewel was sitting.

"Incredible!" The Master Emerald Guardian removed his new eyewear, "These glasses showed me exactly where the Master Emerald was."

"That's amazing!" Tikal commented on the sunglasses.

"Amy... where did you find something like these?"

"Oddly enough, I saw them at the Variety Shop in Station Square."

"You're kidding."

For an accessory like this to be in a bargain store like the Variety Shop was absolutely unbelievable.

"With these on, I could easily track down the Master Emerald in case it ever got stolen. That would save me a lot of time."

"Yeah, plus they look cool. So what do you say, Knuckles?"

As Amy gave this response, Knuckles looked into her eyes and saw kindness. Since she'd decided to give him a present as spectacular as these sunglasses, she obviously hoped to make him happy. But for what reason?

"Do you forgive me too for the way I acted earlier?"

As Tikal was no where near this mentioned scene, she curiously looked to Knuckles and anticipated his response.

"Uhh... yeah, I forgive you."

"Good, everything's settled then! Well, it was nice meeting you, Tikal, but I really should be heading back to my apartment now."

"Oh, alright! It was an honor to meet you too, Amy Rose!" Tikal waved goodbye to the pink hedgehog as she watched her descend down the staircase.

Within that time Knuckles could only look down at his new present, still amazed that she'd went through the trouble of getting a gift like this for him. Something about Amy had changed on this day.


End file.
